Monday, September 22, 2008

Monday Mutterings...

Or This That and The Other....

Movie Review. Did anyone else see the 2007 movie Penelope? "Penelope Wilhern (Christina Ricci) is cursed, and the only way out of it is to fall in love with someone of suitable stock. But how can she possibly find her soul mate when she's sequestered inside her family's sprawling estate with only her parents (Catherine O'Hara and Richard E. Grant) to keep her company? Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon co-produced this unconventional fairy tale about a girl who bucks convention to make her own happy ending." I watched it last week and adored it! Some of it was a little predictable, but over all a good movie. A feel good movie, especially if you need a little pick me up.

Reading Review - Part 1.Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen."As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival."Read this book for book club. (Disappointed that I won't be able to make it to the meeting to discuss it.) I liked it. The movement from past to present wasn't overly jarring. One of the girls from the club commented on Good Reads that one of the terms used in the flashback portion wasn't used at the time that portion of the story took place. My response to that - the main character is remembering the past. He probably didn't remember the exact words of the conversation, just the jist.Overall, while I wouldn't read it again, I would recommend it.

Music Review.My plans for Saturday night got changed, so went to the Fridley Crab House (a.k.a. the Fridley Music Cafe) to see Chain Lightning perform. This was my first time at the venue. The set up was ok. For listening/viewing the band it was good. I wasn't dancing, but the dance floor seemed on the small side. The stage was larger than many I've seen. The fact that it had a door to the outside for loading in and out has been added to my notes for future reference. (For when I grow up and start managing/promoting bands.) Another note...great happy hour specials, $2 drinks.Chain Lightning was awesome. They were already playing when I arrived. The first set was great. The guest sax player was interesting. Might have been my imagination, but the set was longer than a normal set. The second set seemed to fly by - but that could have had something to do with happy hour :}

Sunday Sunshine.Ex #1 and his brother-in-law were late getting to my house for the game, so we got to the Metrodome late. Maybe that was the magic ticket. VIKES won! Enough said.

Reading Review - Part 2.The Myth of You and Me by Leah Stewart"When Cameron was fifteen, she and Sonia were best friends—so close it seemed nothing would ever come between them. Now Cameron is a twenty-nine-year-old research assistant with no meaningful ties to anyone except her aging boss, noted historian Oliver Doucet.Nearly a decade after the incident that ended their friendship, Cameron receives an unexpected letter from her old friend. Despite Oliver’s urging, she doesn’t reply. But when he passes away, Cameron discovers that he has left her with one final task: to track down Sonia and hand-deliver a mysterious package to her. The Myth of You and Me captures the intensity of a friendship as well as the real sense of loss that lingers after the end of one. Searingly honest and beautiful, it is a celebration and portrait of a friendship that will appeal to anyone who still feels the absence of that first true friend."A People Magazine “10 Great Reads,” 2005Started this book Saturday afternoon. So far I'm about two thirds of the way thru, it's a easy read and hard to put down. I'll let you know what I think after finishing it.

Finally.There is a quote in the book that is haunting me....."I felt like I was getting what I wanted for the first time in my life, and this was both terrifying and exhilarating, a free fall." This describes what I'm feeling right now about something that happened this weekend. (Sorry, this is something that I can't write about in case a certain someone should stumble across my blog.)